The talented teenager has even installed a donated Second World War Anderson shelter in the family's garden.

Darren, who has just finished his A-levels at East Norfolk Sixth Form College, Gorleston, said: 'Ever since my museum became known we have had people knocking on the door and asking to look round.

'I have even given conducted tours to Scout groups.'

No one could accuse him of being a 'stupid boy', in the immortal words of Arthur Lowe's Capt Mainwaring, for Darren aims to turn his grand obsession into a career.

He said:'My idea is to give Second World War talks dressed up in uniform.'

Darren's interest in Dad's Army started as a boy watching endless BBC repeats on the knee of his grandfather John Fenton, a private in the Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment).

He fought in North Africa and Italy, including the legendary and bloody battle for Monte Cassino in 1944.

Before he died, aged 75 in 2001, he gave his grandson his wartime medals. Since then the collection of memorabilia has grown so big that Darren plans to move his unique museum into a permanent home.

It includes everything from gas masks, ration books, identity cards and uniforms to an authentic wartime sweet shop, complete with sherbet lemons and liquorice branches.

Frontline: Dad's Army team led by Arthur Lowe as Capt Mainwaring, John Le Mesurie as Sgt. Wilson, Clive Dunn as Jonesy, John Laurie as Pvt. Frazer, Arnold Ridley as Pvt. Godfrey, Ian Lavender as Pvt. Pike and James Beck as Pvt. Walker

Darren said he was forced to move it out of his bedroom into the garden when his long-suffering mum Pat, 60, became unhappy about the musty smell.

Darren, a regular visitor to the Dad's Army Museum in Thetford, Norfolk, has met cast members and writer David Croft, who even sent him a prized photograph of wartime leader Winston Churchill.

The competition winner, who will pick up a £1,000 prize, will be announced on July 4.

Darren said: 'I would just like to thank everyone who has supported me from day one - especially my late grandfather who got me into this obsession of mine.

I'd like to think he's up there smiling on what I have achieved so far as well as chuckling away with me at episodes of Dad's Army.'

Archeologists in Croatia have identified what they believe is the world's only triple-barrel cannon inspired by the inventions of Leonardo da Vinci.

The bronze cannon, from the late 15th century, bears a striking resemblance to sketches drawn by the Renaissance inventor, notably in his Codex Atlanticus - the largest collection of his drawings and writing.

Mounted on a wooden carriage and wheels, it would have allowed a much more rapid rate of fire than traditional single-barreled guns - in a precursor to modern day machine guns. Soldiers would have been able to fire three cannon balls instead of one.

It was also lighter and more mobile than most cannon of the time, enabling troops to move it around the battlefield with comparative ease - a precursor to much later artillery.

It was found in the grounds of the 15th century Klicevica fortress, in a part of southernCroatiathat had strong trading links with the Venetian Republic and that was on the front line of defence against the invading Ottomon Turks.

"We think it was either made in Venice and brought here, or it may have been made locally," said Marin Curkovic, the director of a museum in the nearby town of Benkovac, where the cannon went on display this week as the centre-piece of a new exhibition.

"We cannot say with 100 per cent certainty that it was built to Leonardo da Vinci's designs but the resemblance to his sketches is remarkable. We think there is a very high probability that it was manufactured to his designs."

The weapon almost exactly matches a model of da Vinci's triple-barrelled cannon design, which is on display in the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology in Milan.

The cannon may not have been an enormous success - the lower part of the barrels has been blown away, suggesting it may have jammed and exploded, probably killing or seriously injuring whoever was operating it.

The gun was found in 1968 by a group of children who were digging in the fortress, but it was only donated to the museum in the 1990s.

Attempts to properly analyse it were stymied by Croatia's war of independence and a lack of funds.

"There are no markings on the cannon so it was hard to date it until we were able to excavate the area where it was found and start putting it into some sort of context," said Tomislav Basic, also from the museum.

"As far as we know, it is unique in the world. Nobody else has found anything like it. It's a very exciting discovery."

The madchen took part in their raunchy photo-shoot for the German edition of Playboy magazine, which went on sale yesterday and will be found on top shelves all over the host country during the duration of the three-week tournament that kicks off in Germany on June 26.

Germany begin their defence of the tournament in Berlin on June 26, when they play Canada. England kick off their campaign with a match against Mexico the next day.

Sporting: Germany's international women footballers have thrown themselves into a different kind of strip

Friday, June 10, 2011

News10:
STOCKTON, CA – Kenneth Wright does not have a criminal record and he had no reason to believe a S.W.A.T team would be breaking down his door at 6 a.m. on Tuesday.
“I look out of my window and I see 15 police officers,” Wright said.
Wright came downstairs in his boxer shorts as a S.W.A.T team barged through his front door. Wright said an officer grabbed him by the neck and led him outside on his front lawn.
“He had his knee on my back and I had no idea why they were there,” Wright said.
According to Wright, officers also woke his three young children ages 3, 7, and 11 and put them in a Stockton police patrol car with him. Officers then searched his house.
As it turned out, the person law enforcement was looking for was not there – Wright’s estranged wife.
“They put me in handcuffs in that hot patrol car for six hours, traumatizing my kids,” Wright said.
Wright said he later went to the mayor and Stockton Police Department, but the City of Stockton had nothing to do with Wright’s search warrant.
The U.S. Department of Education issued the search and called in the S.W.A.T for his wife’s defaulted student loans.
“They busted down my door for this,” Wright said. “It wasn’t even me.”
According to the Department of Education’s Office of the Inspector General, the case can’t be discussed publicly until it is closed, but a spokesperson did confirm that the department did issue the search warrant at Wright’s home.
The Office of the Inspector General has a law enforcement branch of federal agents that carry out search warrants and investigations.
Stockton Police Department said it was asked by federal agents to provide one officer and one patrol car just for a police presence when carrying out the search warrant.
Stockton police did not participate in breaking Wright’s door, handcuffing him, or searching his home.
“All I want is an apology for me and my kids and for them to get me a new door,” Wright said.

Postman prat: Royal Mail man's van rolls into river bed... but he still delivers

Postie Les Steele was determined to deliver all of his mail - even though his van was stuck in a river.

Mr Steele was left red-faced after watching his parked Royal Mail van roll into the river at Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland.

But despite his shock and embarrassment, the postman climbed into the back of the vehicle to retrieve the mail and parcels so that they could still be delivered.

The mail must get through: Les Steele didn't let a little thing like his van being stuck nose down in a river bed prevent his round being completed - he retrieved it all from the back of the vehicle, watched by amused onlookers

The blunder took place last Thursday in the Longstone View area.

One resident, who did not wish to be named, said: 'We heard a loud bang at about 8.45am.

'We initially thought a builder's lorry had dropped its load, but looked outside and saw the mail van in the river.

'He's parked up but it must have rolled across the road, up the kerb and then nose-dived into the river.

'We saw the postman just along the road and he said he'd just looked around and his van had gone.'

High tide: How Berwick-upon-Tweed looks when the water is in, illustrating how much worse it could have been for the postman

Luckily the tide was out at the time, no one was hurt, and all of the mail was recovered.

A breakdown truck was called but it was unable to tow the van out, so a bigger digger was needed to drag it up the six-foot drop.

'There were lots of people standing around by that time, many of them taking photographs,' added the onlooker.

The cause of the accident is under investigation, but it is believed the handbrake was on when the van hauled back on to the road.

It is not the first time a vehicle has suffered the same fate in Berwick-upon-Tweed.

It is believed there was a similar incident elsewhere in the town four months ago.

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So much news today is dull, depressing, controversial. It's almost impossible to watch news without hearing story after story of war, terror, killing, destruction, government, corruption, etc. I come across weird and wonderful news items as I scan the worlds press that put a smile on ones face or distract one from all the doom and gloom. These are the stories that will make up "The Quirky Globe". If you have any reactions to articles please leave a comment.... it may encourage debate. Pass this site on to your friends who are also fed up with mainstream news and become a follower. Enjoy and smile.